Palestrina Choir/Choeur Palestrina

Palestrina Choir/Choeur Palestrina

Palestrina Choir/Choeur Palestrina. Name of two Ottawa choirs. The first Palestrina Choir was organized in 1921 by Annie Lampman Jenkins and gave three concerts between 1922 and 1924, including a performance of Verdi's Requiem 15 Apr 1924. The second choir, a mixed ensemble of about 50 voices, was founded 8 Sep 1946 by Jules Martel for the Marian Congress in Ottawa. At first it was called the Chorale du Congrès marial and performed at Lansdowne Park. After these performances its members asked to continue working under Father Martel's direction. About 1948, it became the Palestrina Choir/Choeur Palestrina and, following the example of its namesakes conducted by Charles Bordes in Paris and Mgr Raffaele Casimiri in Rome, devoted itself to making better known the polyphonic music of the 16th-century masters. Nevertheless, the choir included classical and modern works and Canadian and foreign folksongs in its programs. In October 1948 it sang at the Capitol Theatre in Ottawa for the University of Ottawa centennial celebrations. In 1954 it performed the Missa Papae Marcelli at Notre-Dame Basilica to mark the canonization of Pius X and the centenary of the proclamation of the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception. The choir sang some 50 times on CBC radio and TV and gave about 40 public performances in Ottawa and on visits to other cities. It disbanded in January 1958 owing to lack of funds.